Urko Sanchez
Urko Sanchez Architects is a Kenya-based boutique architectural firm, founded in 2007 and led by Spanish architect Urko Sanchez, that designs sustainable, vernacular-rooted buildings across East Africa and the Middle East for residential, hospitality, education, and government clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Urko Sanchez firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Urko Sanchez
- Legal name
- Urko Sánchez Architects
- Website
- https://urkosanchez.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Urko Sanchez Architects is a Kenya-based boutique architectural firm, founded in 2007 and led by Spanish architect Urko Sanchez, that designs sustainable, vernacular-rooted buildings across East Africa and the Middle East for residential, hospitality, education, and government clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Urko Sanchez industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)
Keywords
Where Urko Sanchez is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Urko Sanchez business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Full-service architectural design for residential, commercial, hospitality, and cultural projects. The firm creates tailor-made designs varying in size, complexity and function with a focus on cultural authenticity and environmental stewardship.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Urko Sanchez product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Urko Sanchez Architects is a Kenya-based boutique architectural practice founded in 2007 that delivers custom architectural design services across residential, hospitality, cultural, educational, and social-impact typologies in East Africa and the Middle East. The firm differentiates through bioclimatic, vernacular, and sustainable design methodologies, integrating local traditions and low-impact materials with contemporary spatial design.
Product overview
Urko Sanchez Architects is an award-winning Kenya-based boutique architectural firm offering comprehensive architectural design services across East Africa and the Middle East. The firm's portfolio consists of completed architectural projects including educational facilities (Nairobi Waldorf School), cultural venues (Jeddah Culture Square), residential developments (Swahili Gem Apartments, Kampala Apartments, Kilifi Family Compound), hospitality projects (The Red Pepper House), social facilities (ANIDAN Art Atelier, Sharjah Bridi Park), and competition entries. The firm specializes in tailoring designs rooted in local culture and environment, with emphasis on contemporary interpretations of traditional architecture, sustainable materials, passive cooling systems, and integration with natural surroundings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Urko Sanchez Architects - Architectural Design Services Custom architectural design and project delivery across residential, hospitality, cultural, educational, and social-impact typologies, delivered to private clients, developers, institutions, governments, and NGOs across East Africa and the Middle East.
Quantifiable outcome
- Buildings function without conventional air conditioning in one of the world's hottest regions (Djibouti)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Urko Sanchez
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Urko Sanchez technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Urko Sanchez partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ANIDANminorANIDAN is a children's shelter organization in Lamu, Kenya. Urko Sanchez Architects has contributed pro-bono architectural services, including designing the ANIDAN Art Atelier - a makuti shelter for art workshops, and The Red Pepper House client Fernando Torres is a major contributor to ANIDAN.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Urko Sanchez competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SHoP Architects: New York-based design firm known for large-scale cultural and mixed-use projects, including significant work in Africa and the Middle East. Comparable on the mix of cultural landmark and mixed-use urban typologies, though with broader commercial scale.
- White Arkitekter: Scandinavia's largest architecture firm with a recognized sustainability focus and award-winning cultural and educational projects. Comparable on sustainability credentials and educational typology (e.g., Waldorf School) but at significantly larger scale.
- Foster + Partners: London-headquartered global architecture firm with significant Middle East cultural and masterplan portfolio (e.g., work in Saudi Arabia and UAE). Overlaps on Jeddah-area cultural project typology but operates at vastly larger scale.
- Studio Gang: Chicago-based studio recognized for sustainable, context-driven architecture with cultural and civic projects. Comparable on sustainability ethos and cultural-typology projects, though at significantly larger scale.
- Snøhetta: Norway-based global practice with deep sustainability credentials and cultural/landscape-architecture focus. Comparable on sustainability-driven design philosophy and cultural project portfolio, but at substantially larger scale and broader geography.
Direct peers
- David Chipperfield Architects: London-based practice known for cultural and heritage-sensitive architecture, including award-winning museum and public-realm work. Comparable on cultural landmark commissions (Jeddah Culture Square being similar in typology to Chipperfield's cultural portfolio).
- Kéré Architecture: Berlin-based studio founded by Diébédo Francis Kéré, similarly Africa-rooted, sustainable-design-focused, and globally awarded (Pritzker Prize 2022). Highly comparable in boutique scale, vernacular-to-contemporary design language, and project typology mix including schools, cultural, and humanitarian work.
- MASS Design Group: Rwanda/US-based architecture nonprofit focused on socially impactful buildings in Africa, including schools and healthcare. Directly comparable on mission-driven, sustainable, Africa-based architectural practice with award-winning work.
- Adjaye Associates: London/Ghana-based David Adjaye practice with a strong Africa-focused portfolio, similar boutique-to-mid-scale operation, and comparable cultural/institutional project mix. Highly relevant given shared African heritage focus and high-profile cultural commissions.
Regional players
- Boogertman + Partners: South Africa's largest architecture practice with a comparable Africa-rooted operation, hospitality and mixed-use project mix, and award recognition. Comparable as a sub-Saharan African boutique-to-mid architecture peer though operating in a different national market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Urko Sanchez social profiles
Digital presenceUrko Sanchez financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Urko Sanchez leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Urko Sanchez funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Urko Sanchez M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Urko Sanchez
What does Urko Sanchez do?
Urko Sanchez Architects is a Kenya-based boutique architectural practice founded in 2007 that delivers custom architectural design services across residential, hospitality, cultural, educational, and social-impact typologies in East Africa and the Middle East. The firm differentiates through bioclimatic, vernacular, and sustainable design methodologies, integrating local traditions and low-impact materials with contemporary spatial design.
Is Urko Sanchez a public or private company?
Urko Sanchez is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Urko Sanchez founded?
Urko Sanchez was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Urko Sanchez based?
Urko Sanchez is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does Urko Sanchez make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are Urko Sanchez's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SHoP Architects, White Arkitekter, Foster + Partners, Studio Gang and Snøhetta. Direct peers are David Chipperfield Architects, Kéré Architecture, MASS Design Group and Adjaye Associates. Boogertman + Partners is listed as a regional player.
Does Urko Sanchez have an API?
No public API is recorded for Urko Sanchez.
What industry is Urko Sanchez in?
Urko Sanchez's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAO, Community Engagement & Participatory Planning. Its NAICS code is 54131.